Including NWAssociation (formerly NBA), the current version of NWA founded by Pinkie George, and other previous versions of NWAlliance, such as Des Moines and Kansas. Topics on regional territories may be moved to more appopriate board.

[QUOTE=Dan Poutsma]In addition to the World heavyweight and World Jr. heavyweight titles, the NWA also recognized the World Light heavyweight title, which was controlled by the Lutteroths in Mexico. I've also been told that the U.S. championship held by Buddy Rogers in the 50s and 60s was board recognized as well.

All of the other so-called "NWA" titles were recognized and controlled strictly by the individual member promoters/offices, including the NWA World tag team title that was unified with the WCW tag title in 1992. From what I understand, they took full control over all world titles starting in October 1996, the same month that they elected to re-structure from a non-profit Iowa based corporation (National Wrestling Alliance, Inc.) into a North Carolina based limited liability company (Pro Wrestling Organization, LLC).[/QUOTE] What about the World Women's Title? Or do you believe that's not a real NWA title?

Yea, Poustma! What do you think about the World Jr. Title, really? Do you think it deserves to be replaced by the overrated TNA X-division title?

I didn't mention the Women's title because it wasn't recognized by the NWA board at the time.

I think the NWA should keep the World Jr. title because of the tradition behind it, but they can't force the individual members to book the champ or recognize their own Jr. heavyweight titles in place of X Division titles. I think the best place for the Jr. title to flourish is Japan.

I was just doing some research, and came across this little bit of info:

In 07/80, Les Thornton went to Puerto Rico, and was billed as junior heavyweight champion there (he was NWA Junior champion at the time)

He traded the title there with Joe Lightfoot. I'm not sure if the belt was billed as the NWA title there and NWA probably don't recognize the change, but I think it's more legit than Nelson Royal's defenses in the indies in the late 80s (although, I count them as legit too, myself)

The details are (and they're listed under the WWC jr. heavyweight listings on here):

Thornton arrives in 07/80
Loses to Joe Lightfoot on 11/07/81 in Bayamon, PR
Loses to Les Thornton on 11/14/81 in San Juan, PR

I wonder if the interest expressed on this board to see the title continue has more to do with the continued logical narrative of the NWA story (the longest-standing continuously operating wrestling cartel in the world) than anything to do with the tradition behind the title. It's important on a certain level for the NWA titles to make some sort of kayfabe sense, even though everybody knows what goes on behind the scenes now--- it's still about creating a parallel universe in which everything is as "real" and as "logical" as possible. So that makes it important for the NWA World Jr. Heavyweight title to continue to exist--- because it means the NWA continues to sanction world titles all around the globe in multiple weight divisions, making it resemble more-valid sports with weight divisions like boxing and martial arts, etc.

But as for the tradition of the title itself, what tradition? Who were the great champions? What were the great matches surrounding the belt? All I can think of is Lazor Tron beating Denny Brown on TBS TV around 1987 or so. And Hector Guerrero was a fine wrestler, but his "Lazor Tron" persona really undermined the credibility of the belt. (That's a nice way of saying he looked "Red Rooster" ridiculous.) Then I remember reading in one of the Apter mags in the "roll call of champions" that some time later, Lazor Tron disappeared, and Nelson Royal was established champ "by NWA board decision." And Nelson Royal had semi-retired, as someone else pointed out, by 1979. So again, not exactly helpful in establishing any kind of strong tradition around the belt.

Maybe it's my own ignorance, but I can't even think of what Nelson Royal or Denny Brown look like.